Half Year in Review...

Well today it has been exactly 6 months since we landed in this new world and as my husband kissed me goodbye this morning, we thought, hmmm, it hasn’t been too bad. Despite Communist injustices, having North Korea as our closest ally, our CNN censored, and bouts of depression and diarrhea sprinkled here and there we have also had some highlights by having the opportunity to travel to Moganshan, Suzhou, Harbin and Malaysia. We had our friend Phil come to visit and are looking forward to more visits in the new year. There will be continued trips to the Pearl Market, Yu Garden and ongoing Tai Tai lunches. The fabric market and massages have gone by the wayside, but will be nice to revisit as friends and family come in to town.

In thinking back on the past 6 months, we don’t cringe or cross ourselves before getting into a taxi or flinch when a bus comes within inches of us while we walk across the street. In fact, we now shove our way on to the subway moments before the door closes during rush hour and push our way off. We don’t give a second glance to all the people walking around in their pajamas or baggy underwear and hey, split crotched pants may be something to look into when we have children. Okay so the spitting thing still gets to me a little, but at least I don’t gag anymore. We are looking at signs and understanding what they are telling us, we are bargaining in Chinese. We are learning how great public transportation is and to never forget to pack antiseptic wipes. This foreign city is becoming not so foreign and we can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by.

It is has been an amazing experience and we are looking forward to the new year – The Chinese New Year – The Year of the Golden Pig starting February 18, 2007. We have been blessed with our friends and family that have been so good about keeping in touch with us and we are so excited about the new friends that we have made here and how we have changed for the better. I hope that I will continue to find new and exciting adventures to share. In the meantime, I want to post a blog or two about the history and traditions of the Chinese New Year. Will and I are going to brave the craziness and stay in town for two weeks surrounding this festival so we can truly appreciate the most important Chinese celebration of the year. That and I hear there are pretty good shopping deals at all the stores and markets during this time of year too! :)